1000 Recipes for Today's Cakes
by we.can.fly.away.to.Gallifrey
Summary: The residents of Hogwarts do not know the world of Ed and Al. A world of Alchemy. Therefore, they can be forgiven for the fact that don't know that alchemists are quite accustomed to code.


A/N: There are some great FMAxHP fics out there. This can be set in any of them, if you like. The main point is that they are alchemists in a wizarding school, while the school is oblivious to both who Ed and Al are, as well as alchemists in general. As a consequence, they don't know that alchemists are very accustomed to codes.

Ed sat at the high table with the rest of the teachers of Hogwarts at dinner when Al joined him. He had spent the evening in the library while Ed had been running errands elsewhere, and wore quiet a thoughtful and every so slightly disquiet expression.

'Did you find anything interesting, Al?'

Al turned his gaze from the four tables below to his brother. Even after three meals every day for a whole month in the very same place, they still hadn't gotten used to sitting above the students, as if the teaching staff all had a superiority complex. The children didn't seem to mind.

'Actually, yes brother, something important. It's something in this new recipe book that we've come across.'

Ed didn't skip a beat.

'Oh? And what kind of recipe exactly are we talking about?'

'It's a cake. The red velvet one to be precise.'

Now, the teachers at the table could not be more surprised. The innocent topic of discussion was not expected from the young intellectuals' mouths. The character that they had built in their time so far in Hogwarts did not leave room for bakery, of all things. A couple of them mildly entertained the possibility that this was a prank and carried on eating. As rest blinked at the pair, the said pair continued their conversation, seemingly oblivious.

'You can't be talking about the reddest velvietest cake?'

'The very one.'

Ed laid his fork down carefully.

'Speak to me.'

Al served some potatoes onto his plate.

'Well you know that in the old recipe book, the cake needed red food colouring, in copious amounts? Potatoes, brother?'

'Please. I'm not likely to forget. What are you getting at here?'

Ed watched as Al finished serving them, and also pouring some pumpkin juice into both their goblets. (Another two strange quirks of this strange school.) His hands were placed in his lap before he spoke.

'Well, in this new recipe book, there is no food colouring, not even a drop.'

It took a second for the message to sink in; he might have dropped his goblet should he have been holding it at that time.

'...Are you sure?'

'Positive.'

'But what does it have instead?'

'Beetroot.'

Ed's voice was scathingly monotonous.

'Beetroot.'

'Yes.'

'I don't get it.'

A small sigh left Al at his brother's impatience.

'You know, new recipe book, new ingredients... exotic, one may say.'

A pregnant pause reminded the teachers that they were engrossed in the pair's conversation, and reprimanded themselves for the ridiculousness of the situation. The brothers, needless to say, were unaffected that they were still the only ones talking on the whole table.

'Beetroot. I see. Is the colour from that dark enough?'

'Yes, it's quite a potent extract.'

'But how does that work in terms of equiva-oh.'

'Oh is correct.'

'That actually makes a lot of sence. What about the other ingredients?'

'The rest of it is the usual, with some modifications because of the beetroot, you understand. Even though it is very much the same idea and ingredients, so to speak, the underlying principles couldn't be more different.'

'I see. I assume the method must be similar, though one would have to create the beetroot extract from scratch.'

'That's right, it calls for special techniques. Not everyone can do it. But the chefs in this recipe book are very talented.'

'Hmm. You'll have to show me this recipe tonight. Even though it's of no use to us now, I'm still curious about it.'

'Will do, Brother.'

They leave the great hall togehter along with the rest of the school and enter a secluded corridor before Ed speaks in a low whisper.

'I'm glad you didn't wait to tell me, but don't you think that code was a little too obvious, little brother? As you said yourself, there are some very talented chefs in this recipe book.'

'Cut me some slack, brother. It's one thing writing in code, but another altogether creating it as I speak and making sure you understand it at the same time!'

Ed smirked.

'Just one word: Beetroot.'

'Oh, shut up!'

~Omake~

[Later in their room]

Al: Either way, the only one who has any chance of figuring out what we were speaking about is Dumbledore.

Ed: What, are you joking? There's no why that old man is figuring anything out. I can imagine him right now. He's probably going on about 'power that the dark lord knows not' and sentimental crap like that.

Al: Brother! Be nice.

Ed: Yeah, yeah whatever. Let's go do some more research on this beetroot of yours. I still can't figure out how it obeys equivalent exchange...

Al: How long are you going to keep calling it that. Stop making fun of me already...

[Meanwhile]

Dumbledore sits in his office, little question marks roaming around his head: 'Red velvet, red velvet... what could they be talking about. Oh it must be love, what else could it be?' [Nod, nod] 'I'd expect no less from those two.'


End file.
